Accommodation to suit every traveller in Wollongong

Carla GrossettiBy Carla Grossetti
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From glamping getaways to hotels with all the mod cons and cute-as-a-button cabins, here are some of the best Wollongong accommodation options.

Whether you’re an outdoorsy family, a couple looking for a romantic weekend away or an adventurous type who likes to fly solo and get away from it all, we’ve got you sorted with some of the coolest places to stay on the South Coast. And the best thing about our list of the best places to stay in Wollongong and surrounds is that it ranges from campgrounds to hotel suites and beach houses with wrap-around views. Take your pick from the following.

Hotels

Novotel Wollongong Northbeach

If you’re looking for some romance in the Gong, book a long weekend at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach . Dive headfirst into all the recently refurbished hotel has to offer: dinner at Palisade Kitchen and Bar and drinks at the North Bar, which looks like something out of an Entourage scene. Best of all, doe-eyed duos don’t need to leave the pool in order to order a cocktail at the spiffy Adrift Pool Bar.

Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.
Book a long weekend at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.

Sage Hotel

Families with little ones will appreciate the fact the Sage Hotel has an activities room with old-school video games, table tennis and Giant Jenga. The hotel, which is within walking distance of Wollongong CBD and City Beach, feels as if it could double as a lighthouse, with its glass-fronted floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Illawarra coastline. Parents will also appreciate the pool bar, which features Friday night movies.

the Sage Bar.
Parents will appreciate the pool bar the Sage Bar.

Headlands Austinmer Beach

The new Headlands Austinmer Beach wraps around the Austinmer headland and it’s those sea views that guests are here for. The stylish ocean-view apartments, which are proving popular for weddings and luxury escapes, look out over the Illawarra and the beauty of the location is that you can stay glued to a sun-lounger by the hotel pool, one of the coolest on offer on the coast, have dinner at the pub downstairs and then hang happily on your hotel balcony.

Headlands Austinmer Beach
Headlands Austinmer Beach wraps around the headland.

Argo Apartments

The paint is only just dry at Argo Apartments located in the heart of the Wollongong CBD. Many of the new apartments, which accommodate small pets, offer views over the ocean and iconic Illawarra Escarpment. The rooms have stuck to a mainly minimalist palette of whites and charcoals enhanced by the warm glow of copper tones, which are a lustrous feature of the lobby. Enjoy glittering city views from the balcony at night as the Gong is lit up like a circuit board.

Argo Apartments.
The paint is only just dry at Argo Apartments.

Airbnb’s

Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast

Surprise your squeeze with a thrilling tandem hang-gliding adventure followed by a stay at Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast , which is a multi-level home comprising the Beachcomber Spa Suite on the upper level, the Ocean Blue garden wing with a west-facing deck, and the Sandpiper Spa Suite on the ground level. Insulate yourself from the world at this bright and breezy retreat, which includes a fully cooked breakfast of a morning.

Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast.
Bask in the greenery at Ocean Blue Bed & Breakfast.

Wollongong Coastal Bungalow

Whether you’re travelling with your kids, the in-laws or a group of foodie friends, we’ve done the Airbnb Wollongong edit and found the best Wollongong accommodation on offer. Wollongong Coastal Bungalow is one of them. Here are the details: the three-bedroom, three-bathroom bungalow is located in the Wollongong CBD, is a 10-minute walk to some of the city’s best beaches and is packed with everything you will need and includes ocean views to boot.

Wollongong Coastal Bungalow
Wollongong Coastal Bungalow is a great AirBnB on offer.

Easton’s Escape

Easton’s Escape is a well-designed light-filled apartment that has room for up to six guests, and enough room for everyone to spread out in the communal living-dining area and sunny balcony. While there’s plenty of reasons to just kick back and relax in the apartment, when you do leave, you’re just a few blocks back from the beaches in North Wollongong and some of our favourite places to eat in Wollongong. Perfect for families.

The light-filled living area extends to a private balcony.

The Bower

The Bower is not on the coast. But the Mt Kembla home deserves special mention in our guide to Wollongong accommodation as it’s a quiet oasis away from the bustle of the city and the perfect base from which to lace up your boots and hit some trails. Fans of Mid-Century design will love the Mid Century lines of this architecturally designed home, while families will appreciate making memories around the fire pit under the stars.

The Bower
The Bower is a quiet oasis away from the bustle of the city.

Camping

Coledale Camping Reserve

The Coledale Camping Reserve is a small grassy campground just metres away from Coledale Beach. The campground has a really cool communal vibe and is filled with shaggy haired surfers living their best #vanlife and families with little ones who aren’t up for anything too intrepid. Swim, fish, surf, dive and play French cricket and then head to Sharky’s across the road for fish and chips.

Coledale Beach.
Pitch a tent metres away from Coledale Beach.

Corrimal Beach Tourist Park

Corrimal Beach Tourist Park is a go-to for a night or two spent under canvas when visiting the Gong as it offers the simplest of joys – proximity to 1.4-kilometre stretch of sand beach views – all within nine minutes of Wollongong’s CBD.  The park backs onto sand dunes and native grasses that whisker the coastline and is near to Towradgi Creek, which is a top spot to catch dusky flathead.

Windang Beach Tourist Park

Windang Beach Tourist Park is sandwiched between Lake Illawarra and Windang Beach Tourist Park and it’s a choose-your-own-adventure vibe with cabins, and powered campsites that cater to tents and caravans. The location – smack-bang on Windang Beach – is perfect for immersing yourself in the Wollongong lifestyle. Families should pitch their tent as near to the children’s playground as possible.

Windang Beach Tourist Park is sandwiched between Lake Illawarra and Windang Beach.

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve is popular with large family groups who book out the backpacker-style accommodation for special occasions. In addition to the 40-bed bunkhouse, the holiday park has large, unpowered camping sites that are popular with the grizzled surfer brigade. Thanks to the park’s reserve status, the campsite is surrounded by rolling hills and near to famed surf breaks, The Farm and Mystic’s.

Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve.
unset at Reflections Holiday Park in Killalea Reserve.

For more travel tips and itineraries read our Ultimate guide to Wollongong holidays.

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Panorama suite bath at Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
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Your first look at Australia’s brand-new luxury camp

    Kate BettesBy Kate Bettes
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    The heavens take centre stage at this Outback NSW glamping lodge.

    Crane your neck. Look up. If it’s nighttime in a major Australian city, you might see a faint dusting of stars. Now imagine yourself out in the bush. Here, those stars aren’t just scattered dots – instead, they’re smudged across the sky in endless, glittering streaks. Welcome to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit , a new glamping lodge in one of the most picturesque corners of outback NSW.

    Between its eight stargazing tents, Gilay Guest Lounge, and shared tales of the Dreamtime night sky, this retreat is designed to exist in harmony with the breathtaking lake and surrounding landscape. Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know.

    Bathed in warm light, a couple watches the sun dip beyond the horizon.
    Watch the sky melt into magic at Wilderluxe.

    Getting to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

    Wilderluxe Lake Keepit is in the NSW Northern Tablelands, bordered by the Great Dividing Range. The lake itself is hard to miss: this mammoth body of water is two-thirds the size of Sydney Harbour.

    Just 40 minutes from Tamworth and close to Gunnedah, it’s on the inland route between Sydney and Byron Bay. Drive or take one of the daily flights to Tamworth’s airport.

    Aerial view of Wilderluxe.
    Let vast waters and towering ranges set the scene for your escape.

    Wilderluxe Lake Keepit rooms

    Don’t settle for a paltry room when you can sleep directly under the cosmos. Wilderluxe offers eight domed ‘Star Tents’ , all named after Aboriginal sky stories – like Djirri Djirri, the sacred messenger bird, Baiame, the Sky Father and great creator, and Dhinawan, the Emu in the Sky constellation.

    On a clear night, use your tent’s retractable roof for gazing above or wander to the outdoor bathtub on your private deck to soak under the night sky. No need to go anywhere. You can stay put come evening with a kitchenette inside and a gas barbecue on the deck.

    A couple gazes up at a sky ablaze with stars at Wilderluxe.
    Sleep beneath the stars.

    Style and character

    When it comes to aesthetics, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit stays on trend. The encampment blends with its surroundings, building up layers of minimalist visuals that mirror the ever-changing curves of the water.

    Earthy tones, natural materials and timber finishes also anchor the retreat in its bushland surrounds. It’s enough to deepen the sense of calm you’ll experience as you drive off-grid, and this is only heightened as you spot kangaroos grazing at dawn or hear the chatter of native birds by the lake.

    The dreamy sunset at Wilderluxe.
    Go off-grid in style at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit.

    Wilderluxe Lake Keepit dining

    ‘Dinner and a show’ hits differently with the property’s Big Sky dinner experience . Hosted in the Gilay Lounge, enjoy complimentary drinks and a grazing table with the host, followed by a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film produced exclusively for Wilderluxe guests in which Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters narrates tales of the Dreaming above.

    Once your imagination has been fed, it’s time to take a seat fireside for a glass of Australian port and a serving of s’mores.

    Keen to explore the wider area? Staff can provide barbecue and picnic hampers, stuffed with regional meats, cheeses and organic local fare.

    Wilderluxe Lake Keepit facilities

    While you could very well spend all your time in your tent, sometimes it’s time to hit pause on the celestial show. Instead, make your way up to the Gilay Guest Lounge, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the lake or the outdoor fire pits. It’s a great way to unwind and clink glasses with other stargazers.

    The Gilay Lounge with the view of the lake.
    Unwind by the fire and raise a glass at Gilay Lounge.

    Wilderluxe Lake Keepit experiences

    No need to turn nocturnal; when the sun rises, there are still plenty of ways to touch the sky.

    Lake Keepit hosted the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championships, and it’s one of the best places in Australia to stretch your wings. The local Soaring Club operates year-round, meaning you can book a gliding experience any day of the year – or opt for a scenic flight to take in the vast beauty from above.

    Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? There are plenty of walking and cycling trails in and around the area. Luckily, bikes are part of the Wilderluxe package. All you have to do is ask a staff member for their favourite route, throw a picnic onto the back and cycle off into the great beyond.

    Alternatively, nab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or kayak and head out onto the lake. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, borrow a fishing rod and try your chances.

    A person kayaking through serene waters.
    Paddle into peace.

    The details

    A two-night minimum twin-share accommodation package includes Big Sky dinner and drinks experience, plus daily continental breakfast. As well as access to leisure equipment including mountain bikes, kayaks, SUPs and fishing gear.

    The interiors of the glamping tent.
    Let nature restore you, while luxury takes care of the rest.

    Start planning your outback glamping adventure at wilderluxe.com.au.